Allies of the Night

Allies of the Night is the eighth book of The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan. It is part of the Vampire War trilogy, which also comprises Hunters of the Dusk and Killers of the Dawn, and it was first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins in 2002, then collected in the trilogy in 2005.

The plot follows Darren, Harkat and Mr Crepsley back to Crepsley's home town to find out whether the vampaneze have established territory there. Soon after they arrive Darren is recognised by the police and compelled to attend school. He struggles with most of his subjects, having only a middle school education, and the book uses that ordinary obligation as a cover for the investigation.

Meanwhile Vancha returns to Vampire Mountain to tell the princes and generals about their encounter with the Vampaneze Lord, which keeps the wider war in view. The series mixes a comic premise with a rising body count, and the contrast between attending classes and hunting an enemy is the device that carries this volume. The school is a cover rather than a subplot, since attending it gives Darren a reason to be in the town while the vampaneze are being looked for there.